Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sees vast opportunities for durian exports to China, with plans to expand shipments to more provinces to tap into the vast and growing market.
A total of 15 tons of fresh durians from Malaysia arrived in central China's Zhengzhou on August 24, marking the first batch of Malaysian fresh durians to enter the Chinese market.
This batch of Malaysian fresh durians, including 10 varieties such as Black Thorn and Musang King, was sourced from nine Malaysian export companies. The durians were distributed by the cold chain from Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport to cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Shenyang.
"You see the openness, the willingness to adjust and accommodate our request. Because initially, of course, there was only frozen durian, and frozen durian is of course exquisite and delicious. But when you taste fresh durian, it is going be the super exquisite," said Anwar during an interview with China Media Group (CMG) aired on Friday.
"That's why I think in diplomatic relations, bilateral relations, the issue of trust and respect is important. I feel comfortable to make a request, I mean after our foreign ministry officials, and trade and investment ministries have done their work. So, we were successful. And I think there's a huge potential, unbelievable the interest in durian by Chinese. And I think great future because I think we crossed almost one billion (ringgit). It is huge potential. And that's only a small part, we go one of two provinces in China. Can you imagine if we can get to 10 provinces, then it is going to be enormous. Just durian, of course, but I think we should not end at durian," he said.
Malaysian PM eyes China as key market for durian exports
The frequent group visits led by Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, to the mainland have contributed to fostering a warmer atmosphere in cross-Strait relations.
Ma led a group of youth from Taiwan visited Heilongjiang Province in the northwest and Sichuan Province in the southwest from December 18 to 26, marking his third group visit to the mainland in the past two years.
Ahead of the visit, a 94-year-old Anti-Japanese War veteran wrote a sincere letter after learning that Ma would visit the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese aggressor troops.
In the message, Wang Jitang, the veteran, expressed his support for Ma's commitment to the "1992 Consensus" and the advancement of peaceful cross-Strait relations.
"As a veteran of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the history I personally experienced is also a shared pain and struggle for compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are of a same family. We are like relatives. I hope that young friends in Taiwan, like Ma, will treat the mainland as their own home, visit often as if visiting relatives, and frequently engage with each other," Wang said.
Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Taiwan-based Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, said he was deeply moved by Wang's sincere wish.
"History must never be forgotten. Through such on-site visits and study, we need to experience and appreciate how our forefathers sacrificed themselves to protect our homeland and defend our country," Hsiao said. When talking about the purpose of the current group visit, Ma emphasized the crucial importance of mutual exchanges between young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. He expressed the hope to build a bridge for peace between the two sides which transcends political challenges, and which conveys the shared desire of the people on both sides for communication.
Many people from the both sides of the Taiwan Strait agree that the more tense cross-Strait relations become, the more vital it is to sustain exchanges.
Ma Ying-jeou's frequent group visits to mainland enhance warmth in cross-Strait relations
